


The Great One

by elihs



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, F/F, Gen, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-10
Updated: 2015-02-10
Packaged: 2018-03-11 12:16:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3326918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elihs/pseuds/elihs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if she actually deserved the title of "The Great?" What if Kuvira had loftier intentions than what was portrayed, but her elaborate plan backfired and Team Avatar has to be called in to save the day? Set after the series finale, and is compatible with the canon. Romance won't be the main focus, but there will be some Korrasami.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Plan

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction. Like, ever. I just felt like I needed to spend a little bit more time with the characters in Korra because, well, they're freaking awesome. Anyway, this is the first chapter in this story, and I hope you like it! Don't go too hard on me! Also of note is that, while romance is not the main focus of this story, there will be some of it (starting in the second chapter), and it will be Korrasami. Just FYI if that turns you off or on or whatever. In terms of release schedule, now that I have an AO3 account, I'm going to be posting the new chapters of this story here as well as on fanfiction.net as I have been doing (which is why the first two chapters of this story are coming up at once). I'm aiming at one chapter a week, but with the semester starting up, I don't know as I'll have time for that. Two weeks will hopefully be an upper bound between chapters, though.

Kuvira sat in her prison cell, which was made entirely of platinum. To her, though, it was a palace. Her face was expressionless, but at that moment she had the greatest sense of satisfaction which she had ever felt, in her entire life. Heh. "The Great Uniter." While no one would ever know, she was one of the few people in history with the title of "The Great" who actually deserved it.

She was basking in her glory. She'd done it. There were times when she'd wanted to pull out, when she'd wanted to just end it all, but, against all her own instincts, she'd kept a cool head and carried out her work. All the pieces had fallen into place. The Avatar had shown up just in the nick of time, and restored balance.

Balance. It's a fickle thing. When is the world balanced enough? It's the Avatar's job to restore balance to the world when it is threatened, but whose job is it to continually and diligently make a somewhat balanced world __more__ balanced? Sometimes the imbalance isn't a bloodbending radical, a spiritual madman, or an anarchist, but it's an idle government. It's widespread poverty and inequality. It's the status-quo.

Kuvira knew this, and she had taken it upon herself to be the one to orchestrate the change the Earth Kingdom needed. It was her cross to bear, and she had borne it alone.

And now she was truly alone. She had no company save the knowledge of what she had done. Kuvira had never been one for reminiscing, but she allowed herself the indulgence now. She no longer had a life to live, so she might as well re-live her former one.

* * *

"May I?"

The ballroom was decorated in classic Zaofu style. The room was clothed in green and grey, and the sheen of metal was everywhere. The sun was setting, and it shone through the windows in just the right fashion to add a glimmer to every piece of metal, lighting up the whole room.

Su had organized a party to commemorate the victory against Zaheer. There wasn't that much to celebrate; Zaheer had barely been defeated, he had thrown the Earth Kingdom into chaos, and Korra was so badly injured that she couldn't walk. But Su thought people needed something to lift their spirits, and she was right.

Kuvira looked up at the Prince. A look of disdain crossed her face, which she did not even attempt to hide.

"Oh yes, your Majesty, your Highness, please sit down," she said, her words dripping with sarcasm.

He sat down, unfazed by her comment. They were alone at the table. People bustled around them, dancing, mingling, but the two of them sat at that table motionless, almost isolated from what was going on outside of their bubble.

"The Earth Kingdom is in disarray." Wu finally said.

"Yes, it is. And we have people like you to thank for it." Kuvira said boldly. As much as everyone hated to admit it, Zaheer had succeeded in plunging the Earth Kingdom into anarchy. Bandits roamed the countryside freely, Ba Sing Se was still being pillaged by its own citizens, and every man had to fend for himself. Yet Zaheer was trying to solve a very real problem: the Earth Kingdom had a government which did not serve, or even care about the Kingdom. The sheer magnitude of the opulence of the royalty, and the clandestine tactics of the Dai Li demonstrated this clearly. No one in Zaofu liked the central Earth Kingdom government, and everyone __hated__ the royalty.

Wu smiled. "You haven't even met me yet. Here:" he said, raising his hand as if to shake Kuvira's. "I'm Prince Wu. And am I correct in saying that you are Kuvira, captain of the guard here in Zaofu?"

"That is the case," Kuvira said, begrudgingly shaking the Prince's hand.

"There. That wasn't so bad, now was it?" Before Kuvira could interject and get any more annoyed at him, he softly said, "I don't want to take the throne."

Kuvira opened her mouth to whip back a retort, but she was caught completely off guard, and said nothing, intrigued. He continued:

"I agree with you. The Earth Kingdom is the way it is now because of the royalty. Almost never in recorded history has the monarchy voluntarily done what would steer the Earth Kingdom along the right path."

Kuvira sat there, unable to comprehend. The Prince of the Earth Kingdom was telling her about how he hated the monarchy.

"I need your help, Kuvira."

She was completely absorbed in their conversation. The world continued to turn around them, but time stood still in the middle of that ballroom.

"What could you possibly need my help with?"

"I've heard four things about you, Kuvira. The first is that you are one of the most powerful metalbenders in the world. The second is that you are a very effective leader. The third is that you love your country and hate to see it in ruin. The fourth is that when Suyin Beifong refused to unite the Kingdom, you advised her to reconsider."

"Those are true." She said.

"Are you willing to sacrifice your life to return balance to the Earth Nation?"

Kuvira was stunned by the rapidity at which this conversation was escalating. "What the hell does that mean?"

"I have a plan. The Earth Kingdom will become a single Nation. We will have peace, equality, freedom, and democracy. We will be whole. But I'll need you to sacrifice your life for it."

Kuvira was taken aback. Of course, she didn't want to die, but she let herself entertain the thought for a moment. She'd been worried lately that she was just whiling away her life as the captain of Suyin's pet army, in a city where there was virtually no crime. She felt like she had __mattered__ in the fight against the Red Lotus, that she had, for a split-second, __done__ something worthwhile. Everything since had paled in comparison. Open the domes up in the morning, close them in the evening. That was her life now. She even looked forward to dancing with Su and her troupe, a break from the monotony of it all, though she was painfully aware of how frivolous it was. But sacrificing her own life to do something that mattered? That was preposterous, wasn't it?

Her eyes narrowed. "Let's find a more private area."

Suddenly, time started to chug forward again. The ballroom was still bustling. They both got up and left. Kuvira led the Prince to the courtyard outside. No one else was there.

"Sit down." Prince Wu said. Kuvira obliged.

"The Earth Kingdom is no longer a nation. A nation is a country which houses those who identify with a certain nationality. Members of the Fire Nation associate themselves with that nationality. The people of the Water Tribes identify with either the nationality of the north, or the south. Even those who live in the United Republic feel a national connection with the country they live in. But those in the Earth Kingdom do not. A person from Zaofu, is, first and foremost, a citizen of the city of Zaofu. Those who live in Omashu regard those who live in Ba Sing Se as foreign as those living in Republic City. Everyone is tired of the centralized Earth government, and everyone wants to be on their own. But as terrible as the monarchy was, centralized government keeps order. A centralized government would keep its people safe, and guarantees a certain degree of stability. But it must have the consent of the people. It must be democratic. And we won't truly have the consent of the people until people identify with the Earth Nation again. Even if we were able to create an Earth Republic, it would fall apart in months. There is simply no common bond among the people now. We must reunite the Earth Nation not only politically, but also in spirit. We must bring people from the furthest reaches of this vast continent together under one banner."

"And you claim you have a plan to do this?" Kuvira said, laughing at the pomposity and far-flung nature of the clearly carefully prepared monologue just bestowed upon her by the all-knowing Prince. Turns out Wu was just crazy after all.

"Nothing unites people like a common enemy." Wu said, dead serious.

* * *

A week had passed since that night in the ballroom. Kuvira had dismissed the Prince, placating him with a terse "Yeah, sure" to his pleas of at least thinking about what he said. She had intended to not spend another thought on such things, but she couldn't stop herself from letting her mind wander during the long days of being a soldier with nothing to fight. Wandering became a fixation, which became an obsession. What was up with Wu? She was sitting in her office as she thought to herself.

Democracy. He had said it was the key. But a precondition for democracy was a willing people, and no one wanted a central Earth government again. Stripping the flab from what the Prince had said, she realized she agreed with it - wholeheartedly. She desperately wanted a thriving, prosperous, safe, and free Earth Nation.

She rubbed her temples. What was this about sacrificing herself for the cause, though? Was she to be the common enemy he had briefly mentioned? She rubbed her temples harder. Why was she still stuck on this? She thought that it was simply the allure of the unknown, of this mysterious plan of his which would unite the people. She thought if she figured out exactly what it would take for her to submit to such a plan, she would see it for its insanity and finally dismiss it. She jotted down a question.

_What, exactly, is this plan?_

She thought a moment before adding another question, writing more softly and tenderly than before:

_How will I die?_

She jotted down a few more questions designed to show herself this was a stupid idea, but, at the end, she sighed in disappointment. This hadn't helped; she was still as curious as ever. She needed answers, not questions. Her eyes gazed over at the phone on her desk. She knew the number of Wu's hotel in Republic City. No, she couldn't. Could she? Kuvira was startled when the phone started ringing of its own accord. A second later, after recollecting herself, she picked up the phone. "Kuvira, we have an 845 at Suyin's home."

"I'm on my way."

An 845! A robbery, at Su's home, no less! She finally had something to do! Kuvira was excited, running out the door of the station, arriving at Su's home a few minutes later. She was very confused - there were no cars from the city guard. She walked up to the door, which she realized was open. She entered, and walked around, asking loudly, "Su? Is anyone home? A robbery was just reported here."

She walked up to the door of the ballroom she'd been in a week earlier. "Su?" No answer. She entered, and she was, once again, startled.

"SURPRISE!"

Su's family, half the guard, and a few people Kuvira didn't even know burst out at her. What was all this? Su walked up to her, put a hand on her back, and said proudly,

"It's been twenty years to the day since you came to Zaofu and I took you in. Since you took command of the city's guard, Zaofu has continually been the safest and most prosperous city in the Earth Kingdom." She turned around, raised her glass, and exclaimed to the crowd, "To Kuvira!"

"To Kuvira!"

Kuvira stood there, mortified. She had expected a nice juicy crime, but she had gotten a surprise party in her favor instead. Now she had to sit around, eat cakes, and mingle with people, instead of catching a thief and actually doing something productive.

The hours past. Eventually, it was time to leave, and Kuvira gracefully thanked Su and the rest of them for the wonderful party, though once she was out the door she rushed back to the station, barged into her office, and locked the door. She picked up the phone, dialing the number for Prince Wu's hotel. "This is Kuvira, captain of the guard of Zaofu. Get me Prince Wu!" she barked into the phone. The line was connected. Not giving him a chance to respond, she said, "I'll be in Republic City in three days. Meet me in the plaza in front of Central City Station at noon, sharp." She hung up the phone.

* * *

Luckily for Kuvira, she actually had business in Republic City which gave her a pretext to be there. She, Lin, and a handful of other law enforcement leaders convened on Republic City annually to share information and coordinate strategy on joint cases for the upcoming year. Or at least that was the idea. She and Lin always showed up, but there were maybe five other captains across the Earth Kingdom who had ever come. In any case, that wasn't the true point of her coming to the City this year.

Wu was waiting for her as she stepped off the train. "Kuvira. It's good to see you."

"Lets go outside." She said, not even looking at him.

"Yes, ma'am." They walked outside, found a bench in the corner of the plaza, and once Kuvira was sufficiently convinced that no one would hear, she asked,

"So what is this plan of yours?"

Wu looked relieved. "You would become the Great Uniter. You would lead an army across the Earth Kingdom and reconquer it, with the guise of turning power back over to me when you are finished. You won't wage war on every region; I suspect most will begrudgingly submit to your rule if you offer protection and basic necessities in return. After that, you refuse to turn power back over to me, and you rechristen the Earth Kingdom as the 'Earth Empire' or something like that.

"In order to make sure you are universally hated, you have to rule with an unforgiving iron fist. You'll have to create prisons where you put people in arbitrarily. And you'll have to imprison __a lot__ of people. And you should probably expel all citizens of other Nations, just for good measure."

Kuvira shifted in her seat. This was bad. She would have to imprison her own people, for no reason. It was exactly the opposite of what she wanted to do. But she saw where this was going.

"Then you'll have to march on Republic City, saying you are trying to reunite the Earth Empire, and that the United Republic is stolen land. Hopefully, your support will be down to just a handful of ultranationalists by then. During the attack on Republic City, you must force the Avatar to kill you."

Kuvira was taken aback by that final statement. She had known going into the conversation that it would end with her death, but she was alarmed by it nonetheless.

"The people of the Earth Nation will be united in their hatred of you, but will absolutely refuse to have another supreme leader, whether it be a king or an empress. I'll play the clueless and spoiled Prince who doesn't really care for ruling a nation while you are executing the plan. I'll make sure the transition to democracy is smooth after you die."

Kuvira couldn't stand sitting there in the muck of what he had just laid out. She took a deep breath, got up, and walked off precipitously, saying "You'll hear from me soon."

* * *

Kuvira was staring at herself in the mirror of her hotel room. It was just before dawn, the pitch black of night just beginning to lift, bathing the whole room in a deep blue. She hadn't even tried to sleep. Her bloodshot eyes were wider than they had ever been, and her breath was heavy, as if she had just been in a fight with the Avatar. A million thoughts had been zooming through her mind every second since Wu had stopped talking and she had abruptly left. She'd thought it over and over, and was convinced she could do it.

She kept turning it over in her mind, staring into her own red eyes. This was insane. It _was_ preposterous. But she couldn't shake the feeling that this is what she was meant to do. That this was the ultimate purpose of her life. To unite the Earth Nation and usher in a new age of democracy and prosperity for its people. That thought rang through her mind while the sun crept into the sky. Eventually, she tore herself from that mirror, and looked out the window. She looked out across Republic City. This is what democracy looked like. She saw the cars bustling below her, and looked off into the distance to see city hall, the Future Industries Tower, and a police airship docked above the station. She couldn't argue with it anymore. She saw the innovation of the modern city, and all she wanted to do was spread it across the Earth Nation. It was her destiny to do that. She was destined to create the Earth Republic by whatever means necessary.

* * *

Kuvira lay on the floor of her cell. She'd managed to do more than unite the Earth Nation. She even managed to essentially ban spirit weaponry. She saw how destructive it could be, and thought that if she brought it to bear in a big way in her attack on Republic City, that the world leaders would sensibly outlaw the use of spirit energy. She saw that it was truly a perversion of the natural balance humans had struck with spirits, and it needed to be stopped. Varrick wouldn't have done it on his own, so she had to take it into her own hands. She'd razed Republic City with it, but she had also made sure it would be the last time a city would ever be razed by it again. She was sure Republic City would be able to be rebuilt. It had gone from nothing to the biggest, most modern metropolis in the world in just seventy years, and it could be done again.

However, she knew she'd done unspeakable things. She'd imprisoned innocent people, leveled a city, and had played the part of the worst dictator history had seen since the days of Fire Lord Ozai. She was able to justify all of that, though, to herself. She was happy with how all of that turned out. But there was one thing that she had loathed herself for doing, one thing that she couldn't justify. And that was ruining Bataar's life. They'd been together since before Kuvira decided to play the role of the Great Uniter, and she loved him too much to let him go. She knew bringing him with her and forcing her fake ideology on him was the worst thing she could possibly do to him, but she wanted to stay with him so badly that, showing uncharacteristic weakness, she couldn't force herself to end things with him, so as to stop him from coming with her. Her punishment was to watch as she systematically twisted the man she loved into a monster, and ultimately had to try to sacrifice him for her cause. As she fired the spirit cannon at him, she felt numb, and simply thought, "I'm so sorry, my love." She thought that she wouldn't have to bear the agony of what she had done much longer. Soon the Avatar would kill her, and balance would be restored.

But Korra hadn't killed her. More than that, Korra had actively __saved__ her. She thought she knew Korra. She'd seen how she went after Zaheer and was sure that she would have ripped him to shreds if it weren't for the poison. When the spirit cannon was about to fire on her, she was relieved. She was done, and she had accomplished her goal. But then Korra intervened, creating the spirit portal. Kuvira was frantic, not sure what to do. After gaining her bearings and adjusting to the spirit world, she realized Korra wasn't going to kill her, so she had to settle for the next best thing. She surrendered herself and became a prisoner. But it hardly mattered now. Whether she was executed, sentenced to life in prison, or even eventually let go, her life as she'd known it was over, and her goals accomplished. Kuvira, for the first time in a very long time, was content. She thought that it was only just that she would have to bear the knowledge of what she'd done to Bataar for at least a little longer.

"Wait, what are you doing? Wait, you're not Akira! Who are you? AAH!"

Kuvira heard a thud, like a body hitting the ground. Someone dressed in the garb of a White Lotus sentry came to her cell, opened the door, and whispered,

"All hail the Great Uniter!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I intend this story to follow both Team Avatar and Kuvira. This chapter was centered around Kuvira especially so just to set up the backstory - you can expect more stuff with Korra, Asami, Mako, Bolin, and the rest of the cast in the coming ones. I was careful to make sure that everything in this chapter was compatible with the canon, but it is a pretty big departure from what was shown onscreen. So you may or may not consider it AU by your standards.  
> I did this for a few reasons. For the most part, I always found it odd that Kuvira would rule her people with an iron fist. At the beginning, I thought she would turn out to be a benevolent dictator to her people, but would ultimately go to far with her power (i.e. invading the United Republic). And I hated Prince Wu's existence. He tied up Mako the entire season, and served almost no purpose. All but maybe 5% of his lines could have been cut, and he could have had someone else babysit him, so Mako could go do other, more important things AND NOT HAVE THAT FUGLY HAIRCUT. So, I decided to make Kuvira more akin to what I would have liked her to have been, and I completely changed Wu's character because I hate him. I tried to keep a lot of Kuvira's character intact, though. She still sees the problems with Earth Kingdom, and assumes absolute power in order to fix them, with an attitude of, "the ends justify the means." She, perhaps, embraces that motto even moreso in this story than in what was shown onscreen.  
> I got the idea for this arc from another show (I won't say the name because it will spoil the ending). After seeing how successfully AirbenderNK (on fanfiction.net) incorporated elements of "Baccano!" into their story, "The Legend Of Korra: The Elixir of Life" (go check it out: it's excellent!), I thought I'd try the same. So, credit where credit's due: basically nothing in this story is mine. I didn't create the characters, the central arc of this chapter, or even the idea to steal the central arc of this chapter from people with much more storytelling talent than myself.  
> Anyway, I'd really appreciate comments. Thanks for reading!


	2. Loose Ends

_"Let's do it! Let's go on a vacation, just the two of us, anywhere you want!"_

_"Really? Okay… I've always wanted to see what the Spirit World's like."_

_"Sounds perfect."_

Korra remembered just blurting out that thought. Asami had said she wanted to go on a vacation, more as a rhetorical device than anything, and the first thing that popped into Korra's head was, "Well, what's stopping us?" Sometimes a little spontaneity was a good thing.

She gazed at Asami as she slept next to her on the floor of the Spirit World. Instinctively, Korra tucked a stray lock of Asami's hair behind her ear. She loved the way the morning sun danced on Asami's face. She loved a lot of things about Asami, and she loved spending time with her in the Spirit World. There was nothing to worry about there. It was just her and Asami, and nothing stood between them.

It was their final day of their week-long vacation in the Spirit World. Korra felt a twang of sadness when she remembered this fact. This quickly dissipated, though, as Asami slowly opened her eyes. "Hey ther-" was all Korra could get out before Asami lunged forward and planted her lips on Korra's. Korra froze in shock for a moment before sinking into the kiss, closing her eyes, wrapping her arms around Asami, and pulling her body close, so that they fit into each other's form, like a perfect yin and yang.

They pulled apart, lying on their sides, facing one another, their fingers interlocked. They were both smiling, and Asami's face was redder than Korra had ever seen. They lay there for a moment in a comfortable silence, not saying anything. A good portion of the vacation had been spent in such silence. They hadn't stopped holding hands since they got to the Spirit World, and were just happy to share each other's company so intimately. But as their return to reality neared, they both knew that their silent understanding wouldn't work back in the physical world. Waking up to see Korra's face looking back at her, Asami had been overwhelmed by her feelings and couldn't help herself.

Eventually, Korra leaned in herself and kissed Asami. It just felt so natural, and she loved the feeling of simply being one with Asami for a moment.

They once again pulled apart, and, after a moment, Asami softly said, "Korra, I think I love you."

Korra smiled and kissed Asami again. "I think I love you, too, Asami."

Neither of them felt this was premature. Asami, for one, had known how she felt since she saw Korra lying, an inch from death, atop Laghima's Peak. Korra hadn't realized until later. She had felt something different towards Asami when she decided to write to her and her alone during her recovery, but Korra had been too focused on her own struggles at the time to dwell on it. When they were reunited, Korra saw how much Asami meant to her, and that she cherished their relationship in a special way.

After a little bit, Korra got up and offered Asami her hand. "Come on, before we get back to the physical world, I have something special to show you."

* * *

They'd arrived at Hai-Riyo Peak, though Korra was keeping all information about where they were a secret. She made sure that they would approach the mountain from the side opposite Iroh's house, so that Asami wouldn't recognize it. She wanted what she had to show Asami to stay a surprise. "Come on slowpoke!" Korra teased.

Asami had been scaling the mountain at an impressive rate for a non-bender, but it was no match for Korra's airbending. Asami huffed and muttered, "Something special, huh?"

Eventually they made it to the top, and Asami gasped. A beautiful yellow-and-red dragon bird spirit was nesting at the top of the mountain, on a small plateau. Korra walked up to it.

"Hey there! Haven't seen you in a while." The spirit let out a soft call, nuzzling Korra. "Haha. Do you think you'd let me ride you one more time? I brought someone special with me, and I'd love to give her one last look at the spirit world by flying over to the portal." The spirit let out another call, and lowered its neck to allow Korra and Asami to hop on.

The dragon bird took off, and flew over Iroh's teashop. Iroh himself was standing outside, and waved at the pair of them flying overhead. Korra and Asami returned the courtesy just before the spirit flew out of sight. Even after a week, Asami was still amazed by how vibrant the Spirit World was, which was more apparent than ever flying over it all, retracing their steps back to the portal to Republic City.

"This is amazing, Korra," was all Asami could say. She couldn't do it justice with her words, so she didn't even try.

The dragon bird landed in the field of flowers in which the newest portal resided. Korra and Asami dismounted. The spirit gave one last call, and flew off.

Asami hugged Korra. "Korra, this past week has been one of the most wonderful of my life. I've seen things I could never have imagined, and I got to do it all with you. Thank you."

Korra hugged her back. "I just loved spending time with you."

They both turned to look at the portal. "Ready?" Asami asked. "No, but we should probably get back," Korra replied. Asami nodded. They walked out of the Spirit World in the same way they came in, hand in hand.

* * *

Mako and Bolin were driving through the newest part of the city, dodging construction crews left and right, on their way to their respective jobs. Now that Kuvira had successfully finished the plan, Prince Wu knew that he was in the clear. In truth, Wu had specifically requested Raiko that Mako be his bodyguard, so he could keep tabs on the Avatar while the plan was being executed. With Kuvira in prison, Wu didn't need Mako as a link to Korra anymore, and released Mako from his duties as bodyguard. Mako, for one, could not be more relieved to be back on the beat.

Well, sort of. His arm was out of the cast it had been in a week ago. His bones weren't broken, but his muscles had been badly damaged by the shock, so the healer said it would be good to keep the arm mobile, in order to stop the atrophy, but to not strain it. Absolutely no firebending out of that arm. Mako had been mostly working a desk job since returning to the force three days prior, and would probably be for at least a few weeks. He didn't like it, but he needed time to heal.

Bolin, on the other hand, was now on Asami's payroll. The day after Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding, after saying goodbye to Korra and Asami as they left for the spirit world, Bolin went straight to Future Industries, and signed up to be on one of the earthbending crews which would be rebuilding the city. As much as he hated to think about how Kuvira had manipulated him, he'd really found his calling in the work he was initially doing with her. He just loved helping people, and bringing supplies and support to all those Earth Nation towns was easily the most fulfilling work he'd ever done. He'd liked being a pro-bender and being a mover star, but while he was working for Kuvira, he couldn't help thinking how hollow they had felt. Bolin was anxious to do some real good again, and he couldn't think of a better way of doing that than helping rebuilding Republic City. _His_ city.

"I can't wait to see Korra and Asami later! We should totally go and do something special. We never got to celebrate ourselves, just the four of us. What's that, Pabu?" Pabu squeaked a few times at Bolin, dancing on his lap. "Oh, that's right! Narook's is re-opening today! I heard it was just outside the damaged areas of the city, and that tonight is the grand re-opening!"

"That'd be nice, if the two of them do come back today. They said they would only be gone for a week, what with the reconstruction of the city and the transition of power to the Earth Republic underway, but I wouldn't be surprised if they took an extra day or two in the Spirit World. They both seemed exhausted, and it seemed like they needed some time alone, together."

"You think so?" Bolin said tentatively. He and Opal had their own suspicions about the true nature of this vacation, but didn't really know how his brother had interpreted the situation.

Mako chuckled. "They were pretty transparent when they told us they were going to the Spirit World for a week. And I'd like to think I can read them pretty well - after all, I did date both of them."

Bolin smiled. He knew his brother would be happy for them. He looked back at the road, and his eyes narrowed. They were passing Raiko's temporary home, where he was living until a new, more secure house could be built. There was something wrong. There were no security guards in sight, and the front doors were open, swaying in the breeze. "What's up with the President's House?" Bolin asked.

Mako had been lost in thought. He perked up when Bolin asked the question, looking out at the house, but just as he became alert, a boulder flew out of the front of the house, taking half the wall with it.

Bolin swerved the car, forcing it to stop perpendicular to the trajectory of the boulder. He and Mako jumped out, and took a defensive position behind the car, as the boulder sailed past them overhead.

"Why are there no police here?" Bolin yelled at Mako.

"I don't know! I need to get to my radio!" It was in the trunk of the car. Bolin took out his keys, checked to see if any more boulders were incoming, and, after seeing there were none, jumped out and opened up the trunk. He grabbed the radio and handed it to Mako.

Mako flicked a few switches, and said into the microphone, "This is Officer Mako! We have a serious situation at the President's House! Requesting immediate backup!"

Nothing but static came in. "Come in, headquarters! Come in!"

Nothing.

"Something's wrong. I can't reach the station."

"Well then I guess it's up to us. How's your arm?"

"I haven't tried firebending out of it since the battle. I don't know if I can." Mako tried to light a small fire in the palm of his left hand, but he felt a searing pain shoot up through his arm, causing him to grunt loudly. "I still have my right arm though."

"Alright, well, we have to go. I'll take the front. Go!"

Bolin leapt over the car, with Mako close behind. They made a beeline to the front door, and once they made it, each of them stood with their back to the wall on either side of the door. Bolin peered in, and saw rubble all around, but no people. However, they heard something coming from under them. "Come on!"

They ran inside, and looked around for stairs down. Mako spotted some, and yelled "There!" to his brother. They ran down the steps, encountering the unconscious bodies of the President's security guards, along with a few men dressed like Earth Empire soldiers as they descended. Upon seeing those uniforms, Mako and Bolin got a sinking feeling about the whole situation.

They got to a dark, damp basement at the end of the stairs, and heard earthbending resound around the room. They couldn't see the other end, and that was where the sound was coming from. They dashed over to the other side, only to see none other than the Great Uniter herself, accompanied by fifteen or so men, decked out in faded Earth Empire military garb. They had Raiko and his wife bound and gagged, and were bending a massive hole in the wall, no doubt their escape route. The hole was getting bigger by the second, and at this point, it could almost fit all of them.

Mako and Bolin stared in shock for a moment, before Mako started flinging fire out of his good arm at Kuvira, while Bolin tried to seal the hole with a sudden lava flow.

"Kuvira?!" Mako yelled frantically. "You escaped?!"

"Hello boys." Kuvira said with her classic, evil smile. There was something different, though. She had bags under her eyes, and her hair was frazzled. But Mako and Bolin thought nothing of it.

The brothers didn't stand a chance against Kuvira's much more numerous men. Five of them ran up to each of the brothers. Bolin was able to keep the four that were overtly attacking him at bay, while Mako succumbed almost immediately, as his one arm couldn't keep up. In both cases, though, there was one man who circled around, and, as if it had been rehearsed, they pounced from behind at the same time. They jabbed Mako and Bolin quickly at all of their pressure points. Mako yelped when his arm was jabbed, but fell to the floor anyways along with Bolin, chi blocked.

"I really must be going, though. So nice to see you again." Kuvira playfully said. She and her men tore off the thin layer of hardened lava, finished opening up the hole in the wall, and they stepped inside. Half the men worked on opening up a path ahead of them, while the other half bent the path behind them shut, leaving as little evidence of there ever being a tunnel as possible. Mako and Bolin had to watch with their faces in the dirt while they kidnapped Raiko, and escaped. Minutes later, they heard police sirens outside, and heard Lin's familiar voice scream at the top of her lungs "FIND THE PRESIDENT."

"Down here!" one policeman yelled. The brothers could hear footsteps furiously banging on the floor upstairs, then in the stairwell, before seeing Lin burst out into the basement where they were lying, a look of total distraught on her face when she saw the brothers lying down in the dirt. She ran over to Mako and turned him over. "WHERE IS THE PRESIDENT?"

Mako struggled to move his mouth, but softly made out, "They bent a tunnel out from that wall," darting his eyes over to where the hole in the wall used to be. Lin had tunnel vision, and in her rage, she ran over to the wall, and started bending herself a tunnel, trying to catch up to Kuvira's long-gone team. Thirty minutes later, Lin emerged from the hole she made, exhausted and empty-handed, and passed out on the basement floor.

* * *

Korra and Asami walked out of the spirit portal, and into the physical world, letting out a collective sigh. However, they were immediately surprised to see Mako and Bolin waiting for them. And… was Bolin wearing a Future Industries workman's uniform?

The couple ran up to the brothers, hugging them each in turn. "It's so good to see you guys again!" Korra said, hugging Mako, then Bolin. "Snazzy outfit, Bolin," Asami joked.

Bolin laughed. "I signed up with one of the earthbending teams rebuilding the city." Asami nodded.

Neither Mako nor Bolin wanted to ruin the reunion with the news of Kuvira's escape and kidnapping of Raiko, but it had to be said. Mako took the plunge. "Korra, Asami, we were sent here to bring you into the station." He paused. "Kuvira escaped, and has kidnapped President Raiko."

Asami's eyes widened, and took a small step away from the other three. Korra, on the other hand, immediately yelled, "WHAT?! HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?!"

"Apparently, one of Kuvira's old supporters captured a White Lotus sentry and took her place. She, along with a small attack force whom she let in, ambushed the other sentries on the night watch sometime after midnight, and broke Kuvira out. This morning, just before the White Lotus switched shifts and realized Kuvira was missing, she and a small team broke into the President's temporary home and kidnapped him and his wife. The police didn't realize anything was out of the ordinary until the White Lotus radio-ed them, saying Kuvira had escaped. They tried to contact the President, but couldn't. We're still not sure why his security guards didn't notify the police of the attack in progress, but some of them should wake up soon."

Mako had never seen Korra so angry. Her hands were balled up in fists, and she was squeezing them as hard as she could. Her eyes were squished shut, and every muscle in her body was tensed. All of a sudden, she opened her eyes, her head pointed toward the sky, and let out an almost primal scream, all the while bending fire out of her mouth. She picked up a sizeable boulder and threw it into Yue Bay. "Korra." Korra pulled her hands down low and took hold of as much of the water in the bay as she could. She forcefully and deliberately raised her hands above her head, and a wave arose in the middle of the bay. Her eyes went pure white. "Korra!" And like that, those blue eyes came back. Korra's head turned to face Asami, whose hand was on her shoulder.

Initially Korra thought Asami had an emotionless expression on her face, but she felt something else there. Asami was… resolute, in some sense. "Save it for Kuvira."

Korra let down the water, but was still furious. She stormed off towards Mako's car, Asami close behind. "Let's go."

Mako and Bolin glanced at each other, both a little worried about their friends.

* * *

"... Lt. Akira was found in her home, gagged and bound to a chair. A woman of similar appearance …"

Lin stood at the podium, giving a briefing to a veritable throng. The room was packed with members of the White Lotus, the police, and some airbenders. Sitting closest to the podium were Tenzin, Jinora, Opal, Bolin, Mako, Korra, Asami, and, of course, the Vice President of the United Republic. Bolin and Opal were squeezing each others' hands, as if tacitly saying, "We'll get through this," "Don't worry," "Everything will be fine," and "I love you" all at once.

Mako and Bolin were listening intently to Lin, trying to catch a detail, a clue, anything to lead them to Kuvira. Korra and Asami, on the other hand, were expressionless. Both of the girls had their arms crossed, and they were submerged in their own thoughts, each a million miles away from the briefing, and, in stark opposition to Bolin and Opal, each other.

Korra felt betrayed. She thought she'd connected with Kuvira in the Spirit World. She thought Kuvira had a change of heart. She thought Kuvira had seen the error of her dictatorial ways, and that because of that she had surrendered. But it must have been a ploy to allow some of her troops time to regroup. If there was one thing that Korra had thought she'd learned during her recovery was to empathize with her enemies. As Toph had put it, Amon had wanted equality, Unalaq had wanted to bring the spirits back, and Zaheer wanted freedom. All noble goals. And Korra had realized that Kuvira wanted to bring order to the Earth Nation, stopping at nothing to do so. She could empathize with all of these things, and thought that she and Kuvira weren't so different. Kuvira had done some terrible things, but, with empathy as her guide, Korra saved her from her own weapon, and created the new portal. Clearly it had been a mistake.

Asami, on the other hand, was worried. Not about Kuvira, but about herself, by what she was thinking. Of course she didn't want Kuvira to have escaped. But now that she had, there was a tiny little glimmer of hope, somewhere deep inside her, that she would get to make Kuvira pay. That she would, even for just a brief moment, get her retribution. For what she'd done. For Republic City. For Korra. Her mind cleared for a moment, and was filled with nothing but the words, "For my father." She couldn't help herself from imagining it. Taking Kuvira down with her electro-glove. It ran through her mind on repeat like a mover reel, and she couldn't stop it. Each time, it was a little more intense. Eventually, the glove was no longer in the frame. It was just her fists and Kuvira.

The ring of the phone in Lin's office broke Asami out of her dark reverie. Lin ran over and picked it up.

"Yes? ... Someone will be there momentarily." She hung up. "Mako - get to the hospital, now! One of the President's guards has woken up."

"On it, Chief."

Bolin hugged and kissed Opal, and the four members of Team Avatar walked out of the station.

* * *

"All hail the Great Uniter! All hail the Great Uniter!" chanted the crowd.

About a hundred former soldiers of the Earth Empire were gathered in a secret cavern, which Kuvira thought must have been bent out of the mountain specifically for the purpose of housing the insurgent group. There were no doors - in order to access it, you had to know exactly where it was, and blindly bend a hole in rock face until you reach it. The group was a few orders of magnitude smaller than Kuvira's army had originally been. They clearly couldn't reconquer the Earth Nation and reinstate Kuvira. But they were now small enough that they could efficiently carry out smaller-scale terrorist activity, like kidnapping Raiko.

Kuvira bended herself a small platform, and waved her hands. Her supporters fell silent. She was going out of her mind.

"I present to you: Raiko! President of the stolen lands!"

The crowd boo-ed. She couldn't believe they'd succeeded in the kidnapping. It was the most reckless, stupid, poorly planned operation she'd ever executed. But she had not expected to have a secret weapon. She'd underestimated her own troops, and Raiko was paying the price.

"We don't have the numbers yet to take back the Earth Empire. But if we can kidnap the President of the United Republic, no one cannot afford not to answer to us. They may make a new government, but if we don't like something - or someone - we can eliminate them from the equation. Let them have their democracy! But we'll be the true architects of the new regime!"

The crowd cheered. The day had been a nightmare of the highest order for Kuvira. She went over all that had happened in her mind. Initially, while the woman posing as a sentry opened her cell door, she considered simply killing her and committing suicide afterward. Everyone would see it as bizarre, but that'd be it. And then she'd be dead, and Wu's plan truly complete.

As she walked out of the cell, she looked around for the nearest piece of bendable metal. They went past a door, barely holding onto its old, rusted hinges. She covertly removed one of the screws from the hinge, and let it hover next to her, as she aimed for the woman's neck. But then the woman spoke.

"I knew you wouldn't just surrender! I knew you were just giving us time to retreat! We've set up camp in one of the mountains not too far, but not too close to Republic City. We're awaiting your orders."

Kuvira had thought about what she said. She was in a unique position: she'd get to take charge of one of the remnant factions of her army, and maybe get to expose them or even take them down from the inside. It would be selfish of her not to capitalize on this opportunity.

She put down the screw in the corner of the room they were in, and said "Take me there."

Kuvira was brought out of her thoughts by the crowd calming. She spoke again. "But I am really indebted to _you_!" She pointed at the crowd. "Even as I was imprisoned, your faith was unwavering! You broke me out of that prison, and, together, we captured the President of the United Republic. You are the best soldiers there are!"

The crowd cheered. Kuvira thought back. Just as she got to the camp, she'd insisted they go to kidnap the President. She made some good arguments why it was imperative that they go immediately. In a few hours, the morning shift would replace the night shift at the prison, and she'd be discovered missing. After that, security would at least triple around the President, and he'd be untouchable. But they couldn't, they said! They weren't ready for such an assault, they said! Kuvira had retorted that they wouldn't get another chance like this, and that they needed to make a name for themselves, or else no one would take them seriously. After a half hour of yelling and screaming at her subordinates, Kuvira brought them in line, and they prepared hastily for the assault.

Kuvira had been content with her plan. There was no way they were going to kidnap the President of the United Republic with only thirty minutes preparation. She, along with her strike force, would be captured. At least one of her soldiers would talk when threatened with life in prison, or maybe even execution, and the United Forces would storm the cave. Her last service.

Once again, the crowd calmed. Kuvira's head was going to explode. Unfortunately, the United Forces had not been invited. She, however, maintained her composure outwardly. She'd learned how to do that very effectively over the past three years. She raised her fist in the air, and said, "We may have been beaten, but from secret caverns and underground tunnels, we will design the new age for the Earth Empire!"

The crowd cheered a final time, and Kuvira walked off the platform she had made for herself. For the first time since Wu had approached her, she had no idea what she would do next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'd love comments and feedback!


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